🔗 Share this article

Just over a week before New York City’s mayoral election on 4 November, approximately 13,000 supporters filled Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Is Not For Sale” gathering, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Sanders and the mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani.

The historic open-air venue was packed to the rafters. City residents of all ages and backgrounds assembled, but it was the younger generation that seemed to animate the atmosphere.

Many described the event as a significant moment. It was a occasion of togetherness, discontent and hope all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Queens, the reason to attend was simple: “I’m here because the government sucks, to be honest with you … and I feel like we should bring about reform as a country, and NYC is definitely the starting point.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For Spencer, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, the vibe of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in local politics in a long time. “It’s thrilling that someone who actually might change things is appearing in an area that I’m in,” he said. “If it’s here, it’s like, why not? If we’re not gonna be engaged now, then when is the right moment?”

Another local, a supporter, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “I think it’s inspiring to be a part of this energy. We even went out to vote earlier today because we were preparing to be enthusiastic for everything that he’s for.”

The variety of the audience reflected the city itself. established New Yorkers, newcomers, working youth and older adults all were present. For Mitch, 68, from Astoria, it was his initial campaign event of the campaign. “I’m here because, well, I want to hear what they have to say, and there’s no other strong contenders, in my opinion,” he said.

Major Topics and Public Priorities

For Mitch, the key issues facing NYC right now are “public security, the subway safety, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether the candidate can fulfill all his promises, he’s receptive. “I don’t know who’s going to fund all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in without prejudice, and just hoping somebody is offering some options.”

Brooklyn, 30, also from the neighborhood, said their top priorities were protecting LGBTQ rights and tackling the city’s affordability crisis. “I think Mamdani is doing a great job of focusing on everything I’m concerned about,” they said.

Nicole, 30, echoed that sentiment, praising Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like he is very genuine in his answers in a way that isn’t common in most elected officials. He’s a little less lip service-y than usual.”

Rally Speeches and Moments

Mamdani had a distinct theme he was aiming to communicate at the rally; diversity is NYC’s greatest asset. At one point, he had a rabbi, a reverend, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in backing his campaign. The city’s comptroller, a former candidate in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

The senator received the loudest applause of the evening, tied with only the mayoral candidate. Sanders spoke of the importance of electing Mamdani to the position of mayor not only for the sake of making the city more economical, but also as a means to make a statement to Trump and the billionaires he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get one vote,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the opportunity to invest unlimited funds to elect the candidates they want. That is the context in which this race is occurring.”

The state's leader Kathy Hochul was the only presenter met with mixed responses, with the audience frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically chant “Tax the rich!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, stand with her, as if to demonstrate the supporters the value of her appearance and backing.

It was a big contrast to Congresswoman AOC, who spoke just after Hochul and was met with the audience calling out for her.

When it came time for Mamdani himself to take the stage, the audience had been more than adequately energized. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hold back at taking jabs the former governor.

“Let our words resound that Cuomo can hear them tonight in his $8,000-a-month apartment,” the mayoral hopeful said. “Let them be so powerful that he can hear them even if he’s in Westchester tonight.”

But Mamdani did not dwell too long on his opponent, instead devoting the latter half of his speech to expressing gratitude to the coalition who had backed his campaign for the past several months and contributed to his historic campaign.

Perhaps the most memorable moment came towards the end, when he asked attendees who had volunteered and gone door-to-door for his campaign to activate their phone flashes. The crowd immediately lit up in a sea of bright phone lights, too many to count.

“Our work has only just begun. On November 4 we set ourselves free,” the candidate said in his closing words.